


Places I Never Meant to Be (Sights Unseen Remix)

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Gen, POV Outsider, Remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-11 14:51:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2072391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When news comes that Erik Lehnsherr has been dismissed from school, Mr. Peters, Erik's English teacher, isn't sure what prompted these two boys' relationship to fall apart so quickly. </p><p>Peters has to wonder if everything that had come from his suggestion to Erik was for the worst rather than the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Places I Never Meant to Be (Sights Unseen Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pocky_slash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocky_slash/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Places I Never Meant to Be](https://archiveofourown.org/works/543317) by [pocky_slash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocky_slash/pseuds/pocky_slash). 



Dull grey light filtered through the room, casting a gloom on the afternoon that felt apt for what had just transpired. As Erik’s favorite teacher - if Mr Peters could even call himself that - the Head of Schools had walked into the staff lounge and asked for a word.

In the hall, and in hushed tones, the Head of Schools said, “Lehnsherr’s been asked not to return for the rest of the year after he destroyed the property of Mr. Xavier - specially Charles’ room.”

Erik had destroyed something of Charles’? After all the help that Charles had given, it seemed odd.

“Are you sure that’s best, sir? Erik’s been doing much better here since he befriended Charles. I’m sure there’s room to let the boys talk out this disagreement.”

There was a stern ‘no’ in the shake of his superior's head. “Charles’ parents insisted. Erik can return in the fall if he makes up his classes off term and confirms to a strict code of behavior.”

“That won’t go over well, sir. Erik’s defiant when pressured to follow certain rules. You know his file.”

“Then, perhaps, the Frosts shouldn’t have requested he join this school in the first place. We can’t make allowances for other students to destroy property without consequence.”

Little more could be said that would change a mind like the Head of School’s, and so he said nothing. “Then you’ve made your choice. I wish I had one more chance to speak with him.”

“That won’t be possible. He’s waiting outside to leave and no one should visit him.”

Instead of walked back to the longue, settled into the rest of his lunch, and wondered what had made Erik snap so violently.

-

Erik Lehnsherr was too quiet for his own good. He was clearly uncertain of everything that surrounded him now; he had never had a life like this, Erik had confessed quietly after the first two weeks of the term after it was required that the boy talk about his academic progress. It was poor grades on all of his essays that started the conversation, but soon it turned into the boy’s life story as a way of explaining what Erik felt were his faults at Andover now. Peters heard that Erik knew happiness for a few years with his parents, but fell into a foster system that pushed him from house to house - from one unhappy family to another to another - especially after he had been with Sebastian Shaw for two years. Two years that saw Erik’s forearms riddled with faint lash marks and his self-esteem shattered.

Those details hadn’t been in Erik’s file, but the boy had been so sullen and angry in class that there was no way in good conscience he - as a teacher - could let the boy go without a shoulder to cry on. Forgotten was the conversation about Erik’s lack of progress in his writing, and instead Peters did as any good teacher did when a student was in crisis: he listened.

Erik shared that he never believed that the next foster home would be permanent. Erik rarely spoke in class - not wanting to draw attention to himself - but worked on his essays as if he would be dismissed for not completely an assignment, even if the end result was still well behind what the other students were producing.

That didn’t mean that the assignments were perfect - far from it - but Erik showed promise and a burgeoning self of self that he hadn’t found before. His ideas were original, but he lacked some of the finer points of English grammar that were typical of German immigrants and especially typical of students who hadn’t focused as intently in school as they could have. 

Errors like that were keeping him from better marks in these essays, despite his promising grades everywhere else.

Conversations between them increased, both about 301 assignments and not, but it was time for another official meeting about Erik’s marks and Erik’s potential.

“Erik,” he had said after the fourth essay in 301 that Erik earned a C on for grammatical errors, “you need to have someone proof your paper for errors. Your overall grade is suffering; I understand and like your ideas and your thoughts, but these grammar errors can’t be overlooked for compelling writing.”

Erik nodded slowly and listened as if he were being chastised for something far worse. “Go see Charles Xavier; he’s one of my best 300 students and he’s looking for some extra service hours.”

-

There was always a list of the top marks in his classes, though for the sake of everyone he had, he never separated his 301s from his 300s. Erik’s grades were far below Charles’, but in the weeks since Erik had started to work with Charles, their gap was narrowing.

It was difficult to talk to Erik about what he and Charles discussed - Erik still shy about discussing his life here on campus - but Charles had been effusive about how wonderful Erik was when they were talking and working together that there had to be something in their new friendship that was mutually beneficial. That Charles found a way to talk to Erik for more than five minutes was a miracle, and if he had been a more nosy teacher, he’d have asked Charles how he managed it. He respected his students - especially one like Erik who valued his privacy and only spoke when he felt necessary - but it was hard not to hear Charles chatter about Erik at the end of his class each day and what new idea Erik had about Hawthorne or Thoreau.

There must have been some trick, because Erik opened up slightly in class, and there was a sense that Erik's feelings could be shared now. Charles had opened Erik up to accepting and acknowledging that his opinions were truly important.

-

Lunch was nearly over, and as he looked at of his administration office window, there was the outline of Erik at the front of school. However, far from alone, there was the slight build and figure of Charles standing next to Erik, sitting atop his trunk.

Even from here, there was a tension between the boys, and Charles’ hand kept reaching for Erik’s shoulder.

Were he a fly in the field that could listen to what exactly they had said. Were he actually able to know what had Erik wound so tight that he lashed out so dramatically.

-

There was only room for a small note on Erik’s sixth paper - time too short before Fall Break - but it would have to do.

_Keep up the good work. Your ideas seem more focused and stronger than before._

In the same vein, he left Charles a note on one of his own recent papers:

_Your ideas have changed in a few ways. Has your work with Erik helped you as well?_

Hopefully one of the boys would give him an answer. It was only a question of when.

-

Now there’s an argument between them - what can only be Charles’ desperate plea for some explanation. Were he Charles, Peters would ask for one himself.

Despite however much progress Erik had made with talking after class, he kept his feelings for everyone in class to himself. He never said that he liked or disliked anyone, and Erik never spent time with anyone that wasn’t Charles or Charles’ friends.

There was no one else in Erik’s universe here, and that _might_ explain what happened. Because it was impossible to not know that Charles was effusive and friendly to everyone he met. 

A story was hidden underneath for why Erik destroyed Charles’ room, but for now, there was little he would do to ask Charles about why Erik had been dismissed.

If there were any luck for him in his job as one of a few English teachers, someone would have the story later. Rumors did run rampant and sooner or later, the reasons why Erik had been dismissed would come to light.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [redacted] for support through the whole process.


End file.
